Maintaining Family Ties and Their Impact on Society

2:7:39

2026-09-24

Anyone who reads the teachings and literature of the Qur’an and the purified Sunnah and reflects carefully upon them will find that they place great emphasis on unity and community, stressing this matter very strongly, because the strength of Islam arises from the unity of the nation and the cohesion of its community.

This unity and sense of community can only be achieved through factors that work together to create a cohesive and harmonious social fabric. Maintaining family ties is one of the most important of these factors. Through it, we find bonds and connections among most Muslim families. Family (A) is connected to family (B), family (B) is connected to family (C), and the latter is connected to family (D), and so on. Consequently, we have an interconnected and cohesive social chain composed of links, each connected to the others.

In addition to this, there is the unseen divine support promised to those who maintain ties of kinship. Indeed, the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Ahl al-Bayt) clearly explained this when he said: “Maintaining family ties brings prosperity to homes and increases lifespans, even if their inhabitants are not among the righteous.”

Yes, homes flourish and prosper, and souls and bodies become healthier—all of this through maintaining family ties, even if the people living in those homes are not among the righteous.

Perhaps al-Zahra al-Tahirah (Lady Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her) also enlightened us regarding the benefits of maintaining family ties in her sermon, through which she confronted the oppressive people of her time and whose words have continued to resonate. She said concerning it: “Maintaining ties of kinship postpones death and increases numbers.”

The increase in lifespan is clearly mentioned in many traditions. As for “increasing numbers,” perhaps this refers to the cooperation, communication, and mutual support that result from adhering to the principle of maintaining family ties, and to the social and economic development that follows from it, ultimately leading to the prosperity and advancement of the community.

This is supported by the statement of Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him), who said: “Maintaining ties of kinship purifies deeds, increases wealth, wards off affliction, makes the reckoning easier, and postpones the appointed time of death.”

What form of social development and prosperity could be better than increasing wealth, purifying deeds, warding off calamities, disasters, and illnesses, and, above all, extending lifespans?

Finally, it is important to recognize that whenever relatives cooperate with one another, maintain communication through goodness, and encourage one another to do good, they ultimately create bonds among different social groups connected by good and friendly relationships characterized by respect and appreciation. This leads to strengthening the bonds of affection and love among various groups within society.